Over 961 reviews forColumbia Hospitals from people just like you.

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"Considering a stroke, she was taken immediately and cat scanned immediately. I was amazed about how many people they had conferring. They had anywhere from 6 to" ...More 12 others conferring in another room. She only waited 4-5 hours to get a room. It was a small room but I was pleased with it overall. The nurses were very friendly and their assistants all had great bedside manner.

-james E.

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"They have everything, every department were imaginable, he does have to go here and there I mean it's a good hospital. They're clean, friendly, the nurses" ...More seemed to know their jobs, they worked hard and their very nice and I liked it. I was knocked out totally and they had to have heavy dry I don't remember anything about it. I liked them, everyone there has always been very nice and all of my doctors are there and I got through. I think they're good doctors and they were personable, they're all our family. If you have a problem they fixed it. They send you this monthly statement, this is not a bill okay? and they would tell you how much like I'm on medicare and I have that private insurance so they pay what you just paid. They let you know about what you're going to pay.

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Angie's Answers

I second the original question (still unanswered). Speaking as someone who logged in today to try to find an attorney, I see this category as one that's exactly what I have my Angie's List membership for:

1. It's important that I find a good one2. I'm not an expert enough to know myself who is a good one3. The industry is full of advertisements and misinformation4. I wish I knew what experiences other people have had

I don't care about lawns--I planted mine in clover and don't have to mow it. When I do need to mow I use a rotary Fiskars mower, which is great--or a scythe. That's right--a scythe (the European type, which is smaller, and it's very good exercise). Gas-powered mowers, chemical fertilizers and weed killers--all nasty stuff that gets into everyone's air, soil, and water. I'm sure my neighbor doesn't like my wildflowers, semi-wild pockets of fruit bushes, and unmown areas and yes, dandelions (I have 10 acres) but that's too bad. It's better habitat for wildlife, especially the pollinators on which our food supply depends. I think this obsession with the Great American Lawn is a waste of time and resources. Plant some food instead.

I'm not sure Angie et. al. want you to have a complete answer to this question. By re-subscribing at the Indiana State Fair in 2012, I think I paid $20.00 per year for a multi- year subscription. Maybe even less. At the other extreme--and I hope my memory isn't faulty about this--I think the price, for my area, for ONE year was an outrageous $70.00. And they debited me automatically without warning. I had to opt out of that automatic charge. I like Angie's List, but if some of the companies they monitor behaved the way they do in this respect, they'd be on some sort of Pages of Unhappiness. I'll be interested to see if this comment gets published or censored out of existence.

You have to put your self in the shoes of a business that is in business to turn a profit of some sort. All businesses have different overhead which in turn decides what their bottom line would be on their services. I personally would not go with an unlicensed professional for this type of install. You are messing with gas, venting issues, electrical wiring{electric water heater} and updated code issues such as a drain pan and tempature and relief drain lines for heaters that currently do not have them. I do agree that there are some companies that are way out of line for their installs but most of these companies are the really big companies that have very high overheads I would assume. Tank type water heaters have changed over the last several years and with these safety changes come bigger prices. The price of steel thanks to China is skyrocketing and tank type water heaters are made of steel. Most wholesale plumbing supply companies cannot match what the big box stores are selling at retail to consumers. I happen to think from research that heaters such as Rheem, Bradford White and AOSmith who have been in business forever make a better product than what you can buy in the big box outlets. You also have to take in consideration the location of the water heater that is being replaced. Is it in the house, basement, garage or attic. Most 40 and 50 gallon water heaters that are purchased in a plumbing wholesale store in Texas cost between 300-340 for a 6 year warranty heater with 6 year on parts and tank. Speaking of warranty. Most big box companies will take a least 24 hours to a week to get your warranty problem taken care of. Most reputable plumbing companies will give same day service if they installed the heater.

So lets break down a typical install at cost to a licensed plumber in Texas

Heater: $315, water shut off $6.50, water flex lines or unions to code $20, gas flex line and cut off to code $12, misc fittings $15, Total $368.50 Lets add a 35% profit which is some what low for a business $129, Total 497.50

This doesnt include permits, pan and drain or any venting issues. The vent must go from the heater to the outside of roof using double wall vent.

Cost of permit on average $60

Most plumbing companies allow for 3 hours of time for a water heater. This includes picking the new one up. Delivering out to house. Draining and removing old water heater. Hauling off old heater. Installing new heater up to code. Going down to city and pulling permit.

Average Labor charges for heater installs $400

That would make this install run without extras on any code issues $957.50

I just had a 50 gallon gas water heater installed in my house for $1200 but I needed a pan installed. I used a licensed plumber.

That's very difficult to answer without seeing the house. As one poster said, the prep is the most important part. On newer homes that don't have a lot of peeling paint, the prep can be very minimal even as low as a couple or a few hundred dollars for the prep labor.

On a 100 year old home with 12 coats of peeling paint on it, then the prep costs can be very high and can easily exceed 50% of the job's labor cost.

A 2100 sq ft two story home could easily cost $1000 just for the labor to prep for the paint job. That number could climb too. Throw in lots of caullking or window glazing, and you could be talking a couple or a few hundred dollars more for labor.

Painting that home with one coat of paint and a different color on the trim could run roughly $1000 or more just for labor. Add a second coat and that could cost close to another $1000 for labor.

For paint, you may need 20 gallons of paint. You can pay from $30-$70 for a gallon of good quality exterior paint. The manufacturer of the paint should be specified in any painting contract. Otherwise, the contractor could bid at a Sherwin-Williams $60 per gallon paint and then paint the house with $35 Valspar and pocket the difference. $25 dollars per gallon times 20 gallons? That's a pretty penny too.

That was the long answer to your question. The short answer is $2000 to $4000 and up, depending upon the amount of prep, the number of coats, the amount of trim, and the paint used.

An itemized list / cost breakdown, more often than not is used against the contractor when it is shared with other builders who will then beat it.

Good contractors use good people, and good people cost more. Just the cost of having the appropriate insurance / bond can be the difference between winning a job or losing it ot a 'lower bid'.

It is the rule of three; there is Good, Cheap and Fast. You can have any two: Good and Cheap, won't be Fast; Good and Fast, won't be Cheap; Cheap and Fast, won't be Good!

When comparing bids, it isn't the cheapest or the 'nicest' person you should select. You should understand why there is a large price difference (it shows there are gaps in your design program or what you have asked for specifically, which means there may be arguments later). If most of the bids are in line, and one is way high or way low, you want to know why before dismissing or selecting them.

Hospital Care reviews in Columbia

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Rating

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I have been visiting since 2008.They connect with you well while speaking to them. My niece also visits and most of my experience with the hospital is through her for her medical problems. The staff here has helped her out tremendously. One of the nurse practitioners suggested my niece have gastric bypass surgery and she is a whole new person now. Her ...More life has turned around and she has fewer issues now because of their help. The entire staff is very friendly and makes you feel welcome. I have not really had any difficulties with scheduling.”

- JUDITH G.

A

Rating

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My first encounter with the "bad booby gods".

was able to schedule my mammogram and ultrasound for the day after my doctor's appointment, saving a lot of stress over what might or might not be there. Turns out, NOTHING was there. My doctor had results the next business day so I knew the results right away.”

- Jackie F.

B

Rating

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Some wait in waiting room. Odd that no one asked for insurance info. interviewed about my problem. some waiting in exam room. Nurse practitioner,

, Very thorogh inexamining me. Offered pain shot and X-rays.Office girl came back 2 times demanded my social security # which I refused and gave her my insurance card instead, Got x-rays ...More after some waiting. Nice helpful x-

tech. after some more waiting Nurse practitioner said X-rays fine, Got pain shot after some more waiting from nice RN. I asked to go home after some more waiting. Got checked after more waiting by an unpleasant nurse who came and checked vital signs with out even taking to me. The machines were all she interacted with.Final got discharge instructions from the pleasant RN.And I was no longer hurting”

- marion L.

A

Rating

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I can tell you that

, which owns all the hospitals in town and is a non-profit, is awesome. I have a 94-year-old mother with Alzheimer's, and they come out and help her and Medicare pays for them. We have an excellent heart center, excellent orthopedics and it's all owned by a non-profit which is buying up everything, ...More but they do a good job, and have done a good job for many years.

It's been excellent. I've had two hips replaced and one knee and one ankle fusion and all those orthopedic situations, but they are very good with orthopedics. It's a pleasant experience. It's clean and lots and lots of volunteers to help with essential things and it's a pretty good situation.

When my mother, as I said she has Alzheimer's, and she fell and was taken. The ambulance came and took her to the ER and she spent a night in the ER and then she was put in a department that they call Emergency Room Observation. The quality of care that she got in the Emergency Room Observation department was unbelievable. There was a young registered nurse named

who was above and beyond and if you can give a compliment to

's supervisor, that would be great.

has an assistant whose name is

is forever imprinted on my brain, she was just the best.”

- Barbara R.

C

Rating

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Doctors were great ER exceptional. However, once she hit the floor it took an entire 12 hours to get them to medicate my Mother for pain. I started 11:00 am asking, and it was around 11:00 pm before she was medicated. I guess there was a communication problem, as I kept asking and nobody responded. I had promises from clerks, and I was told charge ...More nurse would talk to me. nothing happened. I needed to leave as it was late.

Her nurse told me she did not feel comfortable medicating my confused mother; yet she kept tip toeing in to wake her and ask her if she was having pain. Mom has been medicated for several years with a mild pain med which keeps her from screaming with pain after several hours if she does not receive.

What a nightmare knowing my mother would be screaming with pain around 3-4 am and I could not stay. I knew her pattern and what to expect, but the nurse preferred to take control and totally ignore my pleas.”

- Shirl D.

B

Rating

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I have no complaints. The private rooms are lovely and it was nice and quiet. I have also been in Baystate

, which was good and Baystate

, and it was good but they do not have private rooms and that makes a huge difference to me. I have been in the emergency room once, myself, and several times with an ...More elderly (92 )friend. The waiting area is cramped, uncomfortable and not personal at all. How could they have such a good hospital and a pitiful emergency room area.??? If anyone in our family has to go to an emergency room, and you know you will not have to stay, we go to Baystate

. Their waiting areas ar roomy well furnished, private, and comfortable....The care was much better in every way.. What a difference!!!!”

- barbara M.

A

Rating

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Insofar as exercising on your own in their Fitness Center, it is very clean, enough equipment to not have to wait and is open for very convenient times and days.”

- Betty J F.

A

Rating

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Prompt, friendly staff
Attentive nurses
The food was good, once I could eat something!
They gave me some physical therapy and instructions before I went home after two days
They had a pre surgery class that was informative.
Very good nurses
Efficient staff
Nice room”